A Very SnowBarry Christmas
by PercabethSkyewardClace13ore
Summary: Caitlin & Barry fluffiness. Shopping, pans, puppies, 'The Flash Express' and Christmas joy all included, or to come! [Hint hint!]
1. Chapter 1

**Caitlin's POV**

It's late, and I'm still stuck at S.T.A.R Labs. I'm processing yet another meta-human DNA sample, with a giant to-do list. You'd think Barry, being a forensic scientist and all, should be doing this, ad he probably would've, but he was over at Starling City. _Probably going to see Felicity,_ I think disappointedly. She was pretty much the same as him, a perfect match.

_A perfect match that I can't be._

_Stupid feelings. Stupid hormones. Stupid caring._ The stupid DNA scan can wait till tomorrow, right? _Wait, then I have to work on how to get Barry drunk, and mop up Cisco's food experiment in the kitchen, then I have to check all the lights, check in my keycard, and lock up the front door for Dr. Wells._

That's when I check the date.

It's the 20th of December.

_Oh no. I haven't been paying attention to the date! Shoot! I haven't bought anything!_

_Or put up the tree!_

EEP!

I have to call Dr Wells tomorrow and tell him I have to take a couple days off.

So I sit down, and start to work on some bland paperwork describing the anomaly in the particle accelerator. Its been about eleven months, why can't people just let this go?

My eyelid droop dangerously low. I concentrate on the paperwork.

_Focus_, I tell myself.

I end up falling asleep.

**-The Next Morning-**

The first thing I notice is that I'm in my own bed, in my apartment that I bought after selling the house Ronnie and I lived in together. The near empty one, with half of the stuff that I kept still in cardboard boxes around the place. The second is that there's something cooking in the kitchen.

I grab a frying pan from the box near the bedroom door marked 'Kitchen Pans'.

I advance slowly down the white hallway, holding the pan in front of me as a weapon.

There is an overall smell of breakfast.

Pancakes, bacon and eggs.

I can hear something sizzling in a pan.

I go through the living space leading to the kitchen.

There is a man at the stove.

Too late, I'm already running, and it doesn't register in my brain to check if I know the guy first. I swing the pan around, intending to pivot, but I spin too early, and instead twirl, fall and hit my head on the small, bare coffee table.

Everything in my world goes black.

I groggily open my eyes.

Pain floods through my head as I stare at the ceiling, competing with the tirade of questions.

**-A While Later-**

Why am I on my couch?

Why is there an ice pack pressed to my forehead?

Why is there a smell of men's cologne, suspiciously like Barry's?

I sit up. Or I try to. Immediately, there's a hand on my back and forehead, laying me back down. Barry's face comes into view. "Easy there. There's a bit of a giant lump on your head."

"What are you doing in my apartment?"

"I brought you home this morning." It's a simple enough answer really, but there's one thing nagging me.

"How'd you get inside?"

"Cisco told me where you keep the spare keys."

"Ah."

He stares at my face a moment longer, then he almost imperceptibly shakes his head.

"Come on, I made breakfast. We've got to work on your self-defence skills." He says with a smile.

I swat his arm, and smile a little bit. "Shut up."

He extends his hand to me. I gratefully accept it.

**-Half an hour later-**

"I didn't know you could cook that well." I say after a very satisfying meal.

"I didn't know you could eat." He smiles one of _his_ smiles, quirky and unique and so entirely _him_.

"In my defence, I haven't eaten anything since a granola bar I found in my handbag yesterday and ate at 9am."

He smiles cheekily. "You put it in there?" I ask incredulously. Though nowadays, nothing should surprise me.

His Cheshire Cat grin tells me all I need to know.

"What's the time? We better get to S.T.A.R Labs, or Dr. Wells will be mad."

"Already taken care of. I called a day off, for both of us. I figured you hadn't done your Christmas shopping, and I'm not going to let you go alone with the lump on your head."

"Thank you, but you don't have to spend the day with me. You could just call every hour or so."

"No, I'm coming with you. I haven't done my shopping either. Plus, you're fun to be around, when you smile, and laugh, and generally act like a human being."

"Thanks Barry, but I wish to spare you from a torture. This is my first Christmas without Ronnie, and I haven't unpacked my Christmas stuff. Basically consisting of the plastic tree that I have. I threw all the ornaments away. I mean, I'm over Ronnie, I've accepted he's dead, or worse, but it's just different."

That was part of the truth. The other part was that I didn't want to embarrass myself, or worse, blurt out my feelings for him. And I couldn't hide it for a whole day!

"Which is why I am keeping you company. We're going to get a real tree. Everyone needs a real tree at Christmas, and we're getting a gingerbread house kit."

"Okay. But not the gingerbread house kit." I say. I can't believe I'm agreeing to this.

He looks speculative for a moment, then his face lights up as he has an idea.

"You're right. We need to get a gingerbread village kit!" I face-palm, and he laughs.

"I confess. I can't decorate." My cheeks warm over a little bit, and I look down at my plate.

"Neither can I." He says it in such a warm and sincere tone that I look up, and directly into his eyes. "So, I'll wash up, and you go get dressed? I can trust you to do that without harming yourself, right?"

I laugh, and it's the easy kind of laughter that always came when Ronnie was around.

I navigate back to my room with a slight skip to my step.

I dress, in a blue dress with a royal blue knee-length coat and a grey beanie, brush my hair and put a little bit of lip gloss on.

I grab my purse, stuff my phone in it, and leave my room.

"Hey Barry, ready to go?" I say with an easy smile. I've resolved to be a human being for today, pretend that Ronnie didn't happen.

"Yeah, let's go. So, do you want to walk, take a cab, 'cause your car is still at S.T.A.R Labs, or go by the," he pops his collar in such an adorable way that makes me want to hug him,"Flash Express." He laughs, and so do I.

"Really, you offer transport to people in need now?"

"Just doing my job, ma'am." He salutes me.

"Cheesy jokes aside, the mall isn't that far, but maybe later on the way back we can take a cab."

"No Flash Express?" He pouts.

"No Flash Express, but we can get Starbucks instead."

"Okay," he says, "but you're buying."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I say, a small smile fixed to my face.

"Shall we?" he offers me his arm, and I tuck my arm in the nook of his.

"We shall," I say, and we both laugh, as we step into our day together.


	2. Chapter 2

Still Caitlin's POV

The walk to the biggest mall in Central City was relatively short and boring in reality, but in lieu of all the other times I had gone, this one felt like forever in an Enchanted Forest with my Prince Charming to me.

We step outside, into the dim hallway that always smelt overly vacuumed but was rarely used. Like a hotel, I guess.

"What's your favourite colour?" Barry asks me out of the blue as we descend down the single flight of stairs in my apartment complex.

"Blue." I say. It's the colour of his eyes, which I am staring into right now, and Ronnie's- _forget it Caitlin! Ronnie doesn't exist, just for today._

"What's yours?", I ask, mainly out of interest, but also to keep my mind from thinking.

"Sort of a reddish brown. It's a bit darker than the suit, but the suit is around the same colour." He answers.

Then he takes my hand. We've long since stopped going arm in arm. I am shocked, but then squeeze it for a second, and he squeezes back.

"Favourite ice cream flavour?" I ask.

"It's my turn to ask a question! But, it's berry. No, it's vanilla. No, it's cookies and cream. No, snickerdoodles. Nope, mint choc chip. Ah, I'll get back to you on that."

His indecisiveness makes me laugh.

"What's yours?" He asks me, his face alight in playful joy.

I say it in a flat, carefree tone, as if it was everyday when a cute guy that I had a crush on who made me breakfast and insisted on accompanying me for a whole day to shop asked me what my favourite ice-cream flavour was.

"Tropical."

He snorts.

"Are you saying there is something wrong with my favourite flavour of ice-cream?"

"No, I just find it ironic, because Joe, Eddie, and Cisco all have the same favourite flavour as you. And your last name is like, the exact opposite of your favourite ice-cream flavour."

"Oh."

"Best pet you ever had?" He immediately seeks to throw me a figurative life raft from my whirlpool of stupidity.

"I had a goldfish once. That was the only pet I've ever had."

"Really? Just in case you were wondering, I had heaps of fish, but my favourite was when we had this adorable West Highland White Terrier called Ralph come to stay with us for a month, because Joe found him at a crime scene, tied up in the closet under the stairs. It turned out he belonged to a little girl on the other side of the world, in Russia."

"Maybe we should get a dog then."

"I think it'd be a good idea. But I have conditions."

"When do you not?" I ask, teasing him with a smile on my face. "But seriously, what are they?"

"We get an adorable puppy, and we are it's parents, so he stays with you for a week, and me for a week, and alternate back and forth."

"Sounds simple enough."

"And it has to be called Snowbarry."

"Why? It is adorable, but why?" I am curious as to why he chose the name.

"Because it is a non-gender descriptive name, and it has both of us in it. Good parenting, right?" He sends me a hopeful smile.

"Okay. I understand the name." I partially lied. I know some of the reasons why he chose it, but it doesn't give me the entire picture.

By this time, we are in the mall car-park. There is a bit of a jump from the roadside into the actual car-park, but Barry, being ever the gentleman, jumps down first, and offers me his hand. I shake my head no, then sit down, and try to climb down.

I should've known Barry wouldn't let me get away with it.

When I am near the bottom, Barry picks me up from the wall, and spins me round in a circle.

I shriek in excitement. "Barry, I give you to the count of three to put me down. One, two, thr-"

HE'S GONE AND FLASHED US INSIDE!

"That's not funny, Barry," I say attempting my usual serious tone. "Someone could have seen you."

"Yes it is funny," he cuts me off.

"Okay, maybe a little bit funny."

He chuckles.

"And it's stopped being funny." I say. "Now come on, we better go and shop till we drop, at which point we'll call a cab."

He smirks.

"No, Barry, no." I know he's going to try and Flash Express me out of here, but it isn't going to work.

I start walking. "Come on, we're getting Starbucks, even after you pulled that stunt."

He laughs, and grabs my hand, and starts running and pulling me along at a normal human rate.

He bumps into a bunch of people on the way there, leaving the both of us to yell sorry to the poor people. One of them, an elderly lady, says "Ah, the joys of young love," to her equally elderly companion (probably her husband), and I want to point out Barry and I are not a couple, but he's pulling me along and we're already gone.

There is a bit of a line in Starbucks, consisting of three or so parties.

We wait, and he whistles 'Love Is Easy' by McFly at me.

By the time he's whistled the 2nd chorus, it's our turn.

He orders a grande gingerbread frappuccino, while I get a venti caramel frauppacino.

After we've paid, and collected our drinks, we sit down at a two-seater table.

He takes a sip of it, and tells me to have a taste. He takes off the lid, and I put my straw in it.

I have a sip of it, and I really like it. We finish the gingerbread one, then we both put our straws in my one, and it seems like a downgrade.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Just got back. I literally am sitting on a bunch of prompts, so PM me if you want one. I have got about half the next chapter written, but it's a filler chapter, to be honest. I want to move to the puppy bit, like when they actually get it.**

After the coffee thing, we go to our first real shop. It's a bookstore by the name of 'Orange Blossom'.

There's not many people in it. A man in what I guess to be his late forties stands behind the counter.

He sees us looking around. "What can I do for this lovely couple today?" He asks in broken English, with an accent originating somewhere from the Middle East or Asia. His nametag reads 'Benjamin'.

"Oh we're-" I start, but am cut off by Barry, who puts his arm around me and answers, "We're looking for Christmas presents." He shoots a weird look at me, that shuts me up while I try decipher the meaning of it.

"Oh, anything can I help? Come over counter." He gesticulates behind the book-laden counter in question.

"No, we'll be fine thanks," Barry says.

"What was that about?" I ask, once the man reverts to his original spot behind the counter, inspecting a book with a thick magnifying glass.

"Well, he didn't speak good English, so I didn't want to confuse the guy," Barry sort-of explains. It's a lame answer, really, but I take it at the look Barry gives me.

-A While Later-

"Do you think Dr Wells will like this?" Barry asks from the other side of the short shelf. We agreed that it's quicker if we split up to look for presents, rather than look for them together.

The book is a 'Scientifica', an encyclopaedia about science that I know he has. "Nope. He has it."

He tilts his head back and lets a joking moan escape.

"Ooh, come over here!" I half-yell excitedly.

He walks to me, looks down at my empty hands, and raises an eyebrow. I shake my head _no_, and point behind him, to a section reading 'Comics'.

"Cisco, here we come!" I mutter under my breath, meant to be a secret joke, but Barry laughs.

There are literally so many comic-related things here, that I predict it will take ages to find the perfect gift. I find a 'Hercules Busts Heads' thermos, and Barry says he'll put it up for consideration.

In the end, we find a book on Marvel superheroes, and one pullover and mug set of Superman. Its pretty cheap for what it is, only $20 each. We look around for about five minutes more, then decide it's futile, so we pay for our respective items, and then leave.

Next, Barry drags me to a clothing store. I quickly uncover a beautiful dress for Iris, and Barry already has a gift in mind.

_Great, it's probably a ring asking him to be his girlfriend_, I think, jealously, then push that thought aside.

I pay for it, and I get to pick the store next, so we go to a department store, called 'Infinity and Stuff' because, let's face it, I don't have anything in the way of Christmas decorations.

I pick a bunch of cheesy generic Christmas ornaments, the usual angel, but I add some reflective snowflakes and other pretty things like that at the suggestion of Barry, who has excused himself for a second. He's probably gone to the bathroom or something.

There's a tap at my shoulder, and I turn around to see Barry with an armful of a scarily big gingerbread village kit, and more lollies than I have ever eaten, let alone seen, in my entire life.

"No!" I tease with a big smile, and he retaliates with a pout and puppy dog eyes.

I relent, because I am a sucker for puppy dog eyes. Especially Barry's puppy-dog eyes. "Fine."

And he lets out a very unmanly squeal and gives me a quick peck on the cheek.

I blush, but go along with it.

We find a funny cop mug, and an equally funny plate set for Joe, and go pay for them.

Barry pulls me along again, to a pet shop. "Come on! We are going to find the perfect SnowBarry!"

I laugh. "I, in all honesty, did not think you were serious." And with that, he opens the door.

Wow. There are so many pets here. Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, mice, fish, snakes (I note that with disgust), kittens, and the largest collection of puppies I have ever seen in my life.

This time, I pull him along. "Look at that one!" I say about a tiny Dalmatian. "That one?" Barry tries a West Highland Terrier.

We banter back and forth till we find a trio of Golden Labrador crosses, then look at each other and say, "This one," simultaneously.

We laugh, and go to the counter. Barry talks to the cashier, while I look at pet things we'll need.

"She can deliver SnowBarry on Christmas!" He hugs me, and I hug him back.

Barry picks out a winter coat that the puppy gets to try on. It is apparently Barry's favourite colour, so I retaliate by buying a blue dish and leash.

We pick out a purple collar, and a bone-shaped tag. The engraving takes about 5 minutes, and we purchase the various amassed items, leaving the collar to be put on for delivery on Christmas.

We must look an odd sight, weighed down by so many shopping bags and yet still smiling and joking.

We go to a liquor store next, and buy some good wine for Dr Wells and Eddie.

Once those are purchased, we go to a jewellery store. It's mainly for Barry to pick up his gift for Iris, once again sparking jealousy in me.

The mysterious gift turns out to be an engraved bracelet, saying 'Friends Forever' on a single, star shaped charm.

"You know, I'd expected it to be overly dramatic, knowing you, and Iris." I say, as we sit on a bench, pretty much all shopped out.

"Not really, I don't love her anymore. I'll always love her as a sister and a friend, but I have someone else in mind when it comes to who I want to be with."

He gives me, yet another odd look. I feel jealous again. Then a question crosses my mind, and it gets out before I can stop it.

"You're not gay, are you? Because, it's just you don't know that many girls. And I think Oliver will kill you, and I know you are aware of it, if you have a crush on Felicity and-"

"Don't worry. I'm not gay, and I do not have a crush on Felicity. What about you?"

"Not gay, and I have a crush on someone that is most decidedly a guy that I know."

"I know this is an odd request, but can I take a picture with you?" Barry asks. I give him an okay, and he pulls me to my feet, and suddenly we are running to a photo booth. It's empty, and we put our shopping bags down against the wall that is most decidedly not the exit.

He pulls me closer, and slides some spare change he fished out of his pocket into the machine and presses a few buttons, then pulls me closer.

I can feel my heart racing as I put my head on his shoulder, while the console counts down from three.

We have 5 seconds before the next countdown, so he kisses my cheek, while I assume a shocked face. The camera clicks again, and then there is another five seconds. He puts his mouth close to my ear, while I put my hand over my mouth. Then the camera clicks and the final photo is counting down. I fling my arms around his neck, with my face above his shoulder, and we both make funny faces. The photo booth starts to print the photos out onto two strips.

We collect our bags, and he hands me one of the strips, which I put into my wallet. My favourite is the one where he kisses my cheek.

He puts his in his pocket, and I take off my coat and put it in one of the bags.

"Are you done shopping?" I ask. He nods, and we go outside to hail a cab. I see one coming around the corner, but Barry has other ideas.

He scoops me up, and I start to protest, but hang onto him anyway. "No-"

And we are in my apartment.

"Thank you for the ride," I mutter, as I detach myself from him. He chuckles, and takes my hand. "Let's go and decorate your sad tree."

I scratch my neck. "About that." He gives me a confused look. "I don't know which box it is in."

"It's okay. We'll go look."

In the end, after half an hour of fruitless searching, Barry finds it. I give him a hug, and go get the bag of purchased ornaments, to find it's not there. I have my suspicions though, and I go to the general living space, to find Barry is unpacking the ornaments.

He hands me three.

I hang them on with a critical eye, to which Barry says, "No, do it like this," and he goes behind me, taking my hands and placing an ornamental snowflake in it, then helps me to hang it on the tree. I blush madly as he explains his theory. "Don't think, just do."

I do better after that, and when we've exhausted the amount of ornaments I currently own, he proclaims it's time to have a decorate-off of the gingerbread houses.

It takes a surprisingly small amount of pleading to get me to participate.

He lays down the ground rules; we have 30 minutes, we have to be back to back so we can't see each other's work, and no talking.

So, thirty minutes, later, Barry's phone rings.

It turns out to be an alarm he set.

I see his one. It looks so amazing. There is so much detail involved. There are little gumdrops representing plants, and little snowmen made out of marshmallows.

Mine broke halfway through, so when I repaired it, I decided to go for the front and side decoration more than on the actual house. The result is a messily done roof, and little garden ornaments. I used a couple candy canes for a tree, and cut Twizzlers and a small block of Cadbury chocolate for a swing, gluing it together with sticky icing. There are little kids I made out of mini marshmallows and wine gums, and icing sugar was spread as snow. I also used little sprinkle pearls with a dusting of icing sugar and held together underneath by a drop of super-sticky icing for snowballs. I feel embarrassed by my lack of creativity.

"Wow," we say, at exactly the same time, and we let out a breathy laugh, and give each other a hug. We'd done it!

Barry turns on the radio to listen to some Christmas carols, while I turned on the kettle to make some tea, which I haven't drunk in awhile. Lately, it's been all, coffee, coffee, coffee.

A supposedly 'urgent' message comes on.

"Citizens of Central City are warned to stay inside while a freak storm of snow has erupted. If the snow has stopped tonight, the streets will be cleared by tomorrow. That's news." Then the Christmas carols resume.

My phone is in my hand before I am conscious of what I am doing. Dr Wells is on my speed dial, and I press his number.

"Hello Caitlin."

"Hi Dr Wells. Is this a meta-human?"

"No. This is literally a storm. It hit Starling City on the way over here, and will probably pass within the week."

"Thanks. I'll call Felicity. Bye."

So I call Felicity too. "Hey. Freak storm cleared yet?"

"Yep, streets are being cleared. Thank god we weren't at the foundry."

"That would have been a problem. Why weren't you?"

"Oliver died."

"WHAT? Are you sure? How did it happen? Do you-"

"I was kidding. We're kinda," Caitlin can almost hear her blushing, "dating, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone. We're keeping it under wraps."

"Well, Barry just heard you, so I'd talk to him about that. Right after you give me the details."

"Wait. Are Barry and you together?"

"No. But yes. I mean, he's in my apartment, but we're not," I fake a cough, "together."

"Ah. The joys of being uncomfortable."

"There is no joy to being uncomfortable. But he came with me to the mall, and we bought a puppy!"

"WHAT?" Felicity screams, and I pull my phone away from my ear, and hold it at arm's length for a couple of seconds, then press it back to my ear. "Are you guys going to Iris' for Christmas?"

"I have no idea. I don't think she's invited me."

"Well, make Barry bring the puppy then. What is it's name?"

"Snowbarry, and we arranged to have it delivered on Christmas."

"Lucky. I mean, I'd have called it Snowy, but Barry has his head in the right place."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Can I talk to Barry now? Please?" I grudgingly hand the phone to Barry, who is sitting at the counter.

I drown out their conversation by focussing on the process of making tea. As I try remember, I scald myself on the kettle, and Barry is immediately by my side, pulling my hand under the cold tap.

"Maybe leave the tea-making to me." He says. I nod grimly in agreement.

So, five minutes later, we're sat down on the couch by the tree, complete with tea. There has been another update on the freak storm, and it says that it's likely that it will clear tomorrow morning, moving onto yet another city.

There is one problem. I only have one bed and one blanket and two pillows.

A-W-K-W-A-R-D.

"We forgot to buy wrapping paper!" I jump up from the couch, then sit back down once I realize there is nothing I can do about it for the moment.

Barry laughs. "Come on, let's watch a Christmas-y movie."

Thank god I plugged my TV in when I moved here. I actually needed Netflix, so I got that too. Sad rom-coms I could relate to.

He puts on 'A Christmas Carol'.

I give him a pointed look, and he raises his hands in a don't-shoot-me gesture.

Despite the caffeine in the tea, I suddenly feel really sleepy, so I lie on Barry's slouching stomach, and he plays with my hair. Within minutes, I am asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This is mostly Christmas fluff at the moment, as I lament the passing of the holiday season as we move on to school and work and** _**stuff**_**, while I am getting excited for a puppy. Just to clarify, this puppy is purely fictional.**

**Caitlin's POV**

I open my eyes to a sleepy-looking Barry beside me.

"How long have I been out?" I ask, although my mind races with many more questions.

"Um, it's just about the end of the movie. I was going to move you once the movie ended, but you just woke up, so, no point."

"You look like you need a nap. You can take my bed for now."

He looks about to protest, but I quickly intervene. "I was thinking of trying to make dinner."

He goes, mumbling under his breath.

I get some ingredients out of the fridge for a recipe I have comitted to memory (I memorised it on a dare from Cisco, which I totally won, by the way), then remember I need to let some of the ingredients defrost as well as sanitise some of the others (I sometimes use some of my kitchen ingredients for my experiments, because it's killing two birds with one stone), so I get a wet cloth, some sanitising spray, and sort the ingredients into piles.

I get started, absentmindedly cleaning while I think about the guy in the next room, sleeping on my bed.

Whoops, that sounded wrong.

The bed I let him take?

No, that might be worse.

Resting in my chambers?

God, that sounded like a euphemism.

Sleeping over at my house?

I think that's the best so far.

I realise that I have sanitised all of them, so I wait for the other pile to defrost while checking my phone.

No signal. Oh well. I know how to fix that, but it's really time consuming, so I decide to hunt down paper and some kind of writing utensil, to make a shopping list of stuff I need.

I have literally checked nearly all of the rooms, and it just goes to show how little I regard this as my home.

There is one more room left.

My room.

I gently open the door to check Barry is sleeping.

Then a brainwave hits me. I have a tablet, right?

So I close the door as gently as I can, and tiptoe down the hallway. My purse is on the counter where I left it, and I pull out my tablet, sit on a stool, and turn it on to an app I invented for organizing things.

I open a new list for shopping, and head it with the classic 'Shopping List'.

I type down my ideas nearly as fast as I think of them.

"Wrapping paper, tape, scissors, alcohol, eggs, sweater, cookies, cards, ribbon, a watch or a clock or something, and a blow-up mattress."

"What's the blow-up mattress for?"

A voice from behind me says, startling me so much I actually fall off the chair, but I don't hit the ground.

I look into his eyes, his arms around me, carrying me bridal style.

"My hero," I childishly bop him on the nose. "And, the blow-up mattress is because I am not prepared for impromptu guests. Such as you."

"I'll take that as a weird compliment."

"Come on, I better actually make something to eat. What time is it?" With what the storm raging on outside, I can't see a thing.

He peers at my tablet.

"Nearly midnight."

"Wow, it's late. I wonder if we've missed any texts or calls. I can't get a signal at the moment, but Cisco showed me how to build a basic reciever when I was a rookie on the job, and I made some changes. He was so surprised when I came back with it the next day."

"I'm surprised. Caitlin Snow, engineer?" I cut in, "I'm pretty sure there is a Doctor in there somewhere." He continues after giving me a pointed look. "Doctor Caitlin Snow, I mean, I know you were already a doctor, a geneticist, a scientist, and a biochemist, but engineer? It seems like your resume is going to end up eight feet long by the end of this year. You could add, gingerbread extraordinare, shopping expert, and a lovable sleepy bunny to the list."

Despite my heart thumping and the heat rushing into my cheeks at the word 'lovable', I manage to reply, " If I put lovable sleepy bunny on the list, don't you think that my possible future employers are going to think I'm weird? Or possibly an escapee from a mental hospital?"

"Fair enough. But I am going to give you a nickname, and I don't care if I sound like an Englishman, but anyway, _love_," He puts emphasis on the word.

"No."

"I don't care, it can be your special nickname."

"Fine then. You get one too, _cookie_."

"Come on, _cupcake."_

_"_I thought my nickname was _love_, _sweetie_."

"We're so having a nickname-off right now, _sugar_."

"Fine then, _honey-bunny_." I grab some flour, from the pantry, and chuck it at him.

Some of it falls around him, but the majority lands on his shirt.

He breaks an egg over my head, and I continue the battle by using cocoa powder.

He grabs some flour, and dowses me with what must be half the packet.

I chuck an egg at him, and all of a sudden, it is war.

Fifteen minutes later, there is nothing to cover, and we can barely see.

"Okay, Barry, take a shower. There are some spare clothes that might fit you in the top right hand drawer. It's more S.T.A.R Labs stuff, but it's around your size."

He doesn't complain, just plods off.

I take off my dress, glad that I picked today to wear a tank top and shorts underneath.

"Cait? Um, how do you turn the shower on?"

I go to the bathroom door and yell in, "Push the dial in, then turn it right for hot, and left for cold."

I start to walk down the hallway, but he yells again, "Hang on for a sec, but can you come in here?"

"'Kay." I yell back.

"Done, come in."

I do, and I find him with a shower curtain covering him waist up. I feel myself blush, but shrug it off and concentrate.

I demonstrate how to turn the shower on. "Okay now?"

"Yep. Thank you, love."

"You're welcome, cookie." And I close the door behind him.

I am not really planning a shower anytime soon, so I wet a facial cloth in the kitchen sink, and wipe my arms, legs and my face down. There is the small mattter of my hair, but I can deal with it.

My only problem at the moment was with Barry. Well, to be specific, how to keep my crush from him.

**A/N: I have no idea if Caitlin is a biochemist or not, but for the sake of a line I'm going to use later, she is. Also, I have no idea how to get rid of the large space up above.**

**I am also holding the next chapter ransom for 5 reviews. After the fifth review, I will post it hopefully within twenty-four hours, but not after forty-eight.**

**Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I am sorry for this other filler chapter, but it does involve a sort of fundamental piece of information that leaves Caitlin reeling. I love the response that I got from the challenge that was issued. Thank you to:**

**1st review: 01eggy10**

**2nd review: B-E-A-utiful (Guest)**

**3rd review: Fran Stark**

**4th review: Mairrenn**

**5th review: Airsay**

**And also to:**

**\- Agentwholock**

**\- saya97**

**\- snowbarryshipper (Guest)**

**\- Guest**

**And SwaggyStiles for the reviews!**

**Caitlin's POV**

Barry comes in with tousled and wet hair, slightly sticking up in his usual style, but it drips, nevertheless, onto the towel around his neck. His sweatshirt and track pants fit him well.

"Hey."

"I can't exactly cook dinner, because we ran out of eggs."

"Oh. I'm not exactly sorry. That was really fun. We should have a snowball fight, like right now."

"Really Barry? Did you forget about the storm?"

"Oh, right. Maybe another day."

"Okay. I bet you'll hold me to that."

"I think you bet right."

I chuckle.

"Hey, do you have a comb?" He asks me out of the blue.

"Yeah, it's in my room, you can borrow it if you want. Why?"

"Because I know a good way to get the food out of your hair."

"Okay."

In a blink of an eye, the comb is in his hand. "Can you pick a movie?"

"Sure, I have one Iris tells me is really great, and Felicity says it's really awesome. In her words, not mine."

"Okay then."

"I only know the name of one actress in the movie and the actual name of the movie, so I have no idea what it's about."

"Let's go and sit down then."

So we go into the living room, and I sit on the floor, per Barry's request, and in a second, my hair is soaking wet and I and the floor are covered in towels.

"Let me tilt your head back a bit," Barry says while I am still finding the movie, and I let him do it, because I trust him.

I trust him.

That makes me pause for a second, but I just shake it off, and try find the movie.

"Okay, it's starting!"

He selects and raises a partition of my hair, then starts combing through it. It feels so domestic, and I feel myself relax, and concentrate.

I start giggling at the movie. It was impossible not to! Emma Stone's quick snappy insults were hilarious!

Barry laughs along, easily, and freely, and the moment feels perfect.

"Hey, Barry?" I yawn.

"Yeah, Cait?"

"Thanks for being here."

"Anytime."

I sit there for the remainder of the movie, and by the time it ends, and the credits roll by, my hair is dry.

"Thanks Barry," I say to him. He gives me a nod, and sleepily closes his eyes.

I stand up, gathering up all the towels, and pad down the hallway to the washing machine, where I chuck them in, and find a blanket in the closet when I check for spare towels, and find one, but I find a throw behind that, I didn't know I had one. This automatically makes things better, and probably less awkward.

I come back to see Barry sleeping. I put the blanket on him, and it feels right.

What. The. Hell. Is. Happening.

He was supposed to be in love with Iris, and I was the one with a crush, but-

Hang on.

Does Barry have a crush on me?

**A/N: Can I have six reviews for the next chapter? Pretty please?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: The response I get to these things are amazing! Some of you in your reviews have expressed an interest in them getting together officially before Christmas, but you know me, I'm intent on dragging this out as long as possible.**

**My family (which unfortunately includes me) have decided to go up, yet again, for an impromptu vacation, so I possibly won't have internet till Monday.**

**In the meantime, I have decided to issue an actual challenge, because five or six reviews are usually completed within the day.**

**Fifteen? I'll be gone for three days or so, so it's possible.**

**An upside is that I'll have more time to work on it. Okay, so I'm holding the next chapter ransom for fifteen reviews.**

**Caitlin's POV**

_No, he doesn't. Does he?_

_What if he does? What then?  
_  
_What if he doesn't, but I think he does, and say so?  
_  
_Man, it's going to be awkward then.  
_  
_Okay. Keep your cool.  
_  
_I can't keep my cool!  
_  
_Yes, you can. So, this never happened, you never stumbled upon this thought.  
_  
It's amazing how much can change in a day.

I am shaken out of my thoughts by a warm hand on mine.

"Stay," Barry says, opening his eyes gently.

"Okay, let me go grab a book first." I whisper, and he nods in acknowledgement.

So I pick two old favorites, 'Much Ado About Nothing', and 'To Kill A Mockingbird'.

I admit I have an old taste in books. Things that women of my age liked didn't really appeal to me. But so what?

I like hypnotic language. As long as I can find it, and immerse myself in the story, I'm fine with it.  
But the new reads, some of them seem so- otherworldly.

Anyway, I sit back down on the couch, giving Barry some room, and wincing when it creaked.

Barry opens his eyes a crack, and gestures for me to come closer. I move about two inches.

He shakes his head, almost imperceptibly, then gestures for me to come closer. I move the same length.

Impatient, he gently takes hold of my hand, and pulls me closer.

I am practically sitting on his lap.

Well, this is awkard, because there is no way that Barry Allen, of all people, would have a crush on me.

I also realise that today, yesterday, I correct myself, checking my watch, awkward seems to be cropping up a lot more in my vocabulary.

But I snuggle closer (yes, I can snuggle), and he puts his arm around my shoulders, resulting with my head on his shoulder, and Barry's breathing evens out. It's impossible to read like this, because the blanket is covering my hands and if I move to get my books from where I left them on the arm of the couch, he'll wake up.

So for the moment, I'm going to be content.

And I yawn, quietly, and Barry's arm is as good as any pillow, so I let go of my inhibitions, and simply fall asleep.

_It's_ _nighttime, and I'm running down a street. The buildings are all apartment complexes, and some of the lights are on._

_My purse is swinging wildly about my person._

_I stop for a minute to catch my breath, reasoning that I've probably gotten far enough away from whatever I was running from._  
_An evil cackle rebounds across the building, multiplying, then fading. Nope, I was wrong._  
_Run!_  
_Another evil cackle tears it's way around me, making it impossible to ascertain where it's coming from._  
_My world goes black._  
_I wake up and smell gasoline. I see a dark figure in the shadows, flicking on a cigarette lighter._  
_I try reason with them. "No! Please, no. Please, help me! Don't do it!"_  
_The shadow looks speculative for a moment._  
_Then he drops the lighter._  
_The flames explode into existence, racing faster and faster in the clever spiral of gasoline, burning and burning away at it's captors._  
_The fire reaches my bare feet, and it's pure agony. I realise my coat in made of wool, and my legs from my knee down are sloshed with gasoline._  
_The flames dance for freedom up and down, and it's hypnotic to watch, despite the pain._  
_"Aaaaaahhhhhhh!" I scream.  
_  
"Cait? Caitlin? Love? Please wake up! Caitlin?"

I groggily open my eyes to find a concerned Barry about two inches from my face.

"Hey, welcome back," he says, giving me a hug.

"Sorry for waking you," I say, somewhat sheepishly, near his ear.

"It's okay. I like you better in real life anyway."

"Wha-" I don't have time to process that statment because Barry lifts me up, like a reverse piggyback, and I giggle and protest, "Barry! Lemme down! Come on!"

"Get your winter gear on, we're going outside. The storm has lessened a bit."

"Depends on what you mean by winter gear," I admit, embarrassed.

"What do you mean?" Barry asks me.

"Um, I don't exactly have 'going outside in special gear so I don't freeze my butt off' kind of gear." I reply.

"Hang on tight," he says, and in a flash, we're in a bedroom. There are a lot of pictures everywhere, and I realise with a jolt this must be Joe's house.

"Barry!" I hiss, quietly, lest the other occupants of the house hear me.

He laughs, and disentangles me from him.

He searches through the closet, and randomly chucks clothes at me.

Soon, I am almost covered in a mountain, and Barry looks back at me. "Whoops," he says apologetically, then flashes them all back into the closet.

He grabs me, and some clothes, and flashes back to my place.

My hands go immediately back up to my hair, to smooth it down , and suddenly, he lets go of me and pushes some clothes into my hands.

"I'll be waiting on the balcony." I stumble to the bathroom, then get dressed.

It's a winter wonderland out is a heaping pile of snow everywhere, with small flakes still making the perilous journey to the ground.

"Barry?" I ask cautiously. I can't see him anywhere.

I see a disturbance in the snow up ahead, and go to investigate.

It looks like someone scooped up a handful of snow, and

-SMACK!-

A dull thud hits my coat, and I hear laughter.

I scoop up a large handful of snow, and hit him with it, only to find he's no longer there anymore.

"I swear to god Barry, if you use your powers, I'll go inside!" I playfully threaten.

I see his sillhouette, scoop up some more snow, and I aim, then fire.

Fortunately, my aim is awful, and he ducked, so it hit him in the head.

**-An Hour Later-  
**  
We're relaxed in front of the television, steaming mugs of hot chocolate in our hands, my shopping list from before (the one written on the tablet) completed, and we are both wearing the awful traditional sweaters that accompany the festivities.

We're watching 'The Polar Express', and I'm cuddled into his side.

Once we got out, we were frozen to the bone, which is bad for Barry, so we got dressed and went outside to go shopping again. The mall had only some select stores open, and the shoppers were far in-between, so I may have had to pay more than I usually would have in different stores.

So we're here.

On the screen, we're getting to the bit where the boy loses the bell.

A weight suddenly falls onto my shoulder, and I look to see Barry with his eyes closed. I take another sip of my drink, and my attention is back on the screen.

**A/N: So that's it! I really must go and pack.**

**See you in three days, and the first six reviewers are:**

**-Mairrenn-**

**-Fran Stark-**

**-Airsay (the movie was Easy A)-**

**-Stresses-**

**-Guest-**

**-Guest-Also who reviewed:**

**-ahwsoccerstar-**

**-Thegirlwonder09-**

**-Guest-**

**-brico4899-**

**-snowbarryshipper (Guest)-**

**-Guest-**

**-Nelura-**

**And also a very big not thank you to the producers of the Flash, because episode ten doesn't come out till February or March here. (Blows raspberry)**

**/\\[)|0$ (In case you can't read it, that was my awful attempt at adios)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I realise that 15 reviews wasn't likely to happen, and I'm slowly torturing you. So, sorry about that. I think I'll post more of 'The Coma' soon, as soon as I finish it, which I understand isn't really good, but I am dreading school, where I now must take piano, and have less time to do what I jokingly refer to as a job. Thanks for the seven I got anyway, and the reviewers will be listed at the bottom of this chapter. On another note, I have 59 followers for this story! How cool is that?! And forty-three reviews?! You guys are so good to me.**

The first thing I feel when I wake up is an absence. It's not in the Ronnie-kind-of-way, but in a he's-alive-just-not-right-here way.

In a flash, I realise this has gone way beyond a crush.

In a flash, I realise I love Barry Allen.

And that is both okay and terrifying.

I think it's late, and my mug of hot chocolate is gone. Instead I'm in my bed, with blankets cuddled all around me in a nest.

My tablet is next to me, on the nightstand, and the time reads 8:47 am. Wow.

There is a post it on the nightstand also.

It reads:

Left to get groceries. Be back as fast as fast as I can. Coffee on the bench. BTW, check your answering machine. There is a message.

-Barry-

Aww, how thoughtful of him!

I get out of bed, still bleary-eyed, and trip over the doorframe, and I brace myself to hit the ground. Where is Superman when you need him?

I close my eyes, to find two arms around my stomach.

Apparently, he is here, and I am Lois Lane.

"I didn't know you fall that easy," Barry whispers in my ear.

"Only when you're here to catch me," I whisper back.

"Come on, I can make breakfast," He lifts me up, bridal style.

"It's pancakes, isn't it," I accuse.

He just gives me a smirk.

"Cookie, please put me down." I ask him, and to my surprise, he does so without protest.

"Okay, so I'm going to check my answering machine to see the message." I pad down the hallway.

The message light is blinking red when I get to the kitchen. I press play to hear it, and surprisingly, the voice is Iris.

"Hey, Caitlin, um, I'm so sorry, that I forgot to invite you to the Christmas Eve party at our place. I've been so busy, that I just realised I only invited Barry, Eddie, my dad, Oliver and Felicity (because they were in town, and I thought, hey, why not). I'll send the message along to Dr Wells and Cisco. Please forgive me and RVSP as soon as you can!"

I pick up the phone, and dial Iris right back.

"Hello?" She says.

"Hi, this is Caitlin."

"Oh my god, sorry for being so rude and every-"

"It's okay. I'm just calling to say I'll be there. What am I supposed to bring, and what time is it?"

"Bring maybe a dessert, and it's at seven."

"Is cheesecake okay? I mean, I don't know if you guys have any allergies or anything."

"Yeah, cheesecake would be great."

I see Barry hopping up and down, miming himself talking on the phone.

"Hang on, Barry wants to talk to you." I hand the phone over to him, and he starts a conversation while I grab my coffee and start nursing it.

I hear a few words, but I try to block out the conversation.

Most of it is gibberish.

I drink it, even though its really hot and I just burnt off a large population of my taste buds, savoring the surge of caffiene that runs through me.

I hear a bleep to my side, and look to see Barry replacing the phone in its cradle. "Done?" I ask. He nods.

"Can I help make the pancakes?" I ask, with a playfully pleading expression on my face.

"Sure thing, pancake." He winks at me.

"I am not getting into this again," I throw my hands up in the air and shake my head in mock annoyance.

"Okay. You mix, I flip?"

I nod. "Hand me the bowl, and the mix, and the eggs and milk." I say, in a secret agent kind of way.

He hands them over, and I read the back of the packet.

-[Five Minutes Later]-

"Is it supposed to be like this?" I ask Barry, stabbing at the weird dough-y sludge in the bowl in my arms.

"Nope." He grins smugly.

"I'm a biochemist, not a baker!" I complain.

"Baking is biochem. You derive the ingredients from plants, mix them, and put it in the pan."

"Oh. Never thought of it that way." I acknowledge I have been bested.

"How about we throw this out, put the ingredients away, and hit an IHOP?"

"That sounds pretty good."

I get the sludge and stick it in the bin.

"It's pretty much solid." He comments from behind me.

I stand up, and whack him with my wrist. "Ow, so are you! And shut up!"

He laughs. "Go get dressed."

"See ya," I salute at him, then go pick an outfit.

It's not recent, I bought it maybe two years ago.

It's a sailor kind of dress, blue spotted with a white collar and red ascot under the collar. There's a thin white belt that fits around my waist, and I honestly wouldn't have worn it if I wasn't going out with Barry.

Like going out, but not going out, going out.

God, I was starting to sound like Felicity.

So I put a coat over it, and put my hair into an easy bun, not rolling it too tight.

I come out, and see Barry has changed into different clothes, and it smells like aftershave, so I fake cough, causing him to turn around.

"Did you crash into a pharmacy?"

"No." He smiles. "Got everything you need?"

"Just let me grab my purse," I say, walking over to the counter, checking both my wallet and phone were in there.

They were, so I go hug Barry. "Do your thing, Mr Fast-Legs. God, I really need to spend less time with Felicity-" And we're outside.

"Thanks," I smile, then kiss his cheek.

He blushes a bit, and I take his hand, leading the way into the building.

I sit at a table for two, and pick up a menu. "Barry, they've got an unlimited pancake thing on." I say.

"Cool, let's get one of those!" His boyish enthusiasm shines through.

So a waitress comes over, and we order that, as well as a soda each.

When the food comes, they insightfully add another plate.

"What's the date?" I ask suddenly, remembering that I promised Iris to bring a cheesecake.

"It's the 23rd, but-"

"Oh crap. Do you know any cheesecake stores open?"

"Um, no, but we can make-"

"Oh great. Can you help me, pretty please?" I give him puppy dog eyes, and he relents.

"Fine, but you have to eat at least three pancakes."

"It's a done deal." I say, loading three onto my plate, from Barry's giant stack.

I finish them pretty slowly compared to Barry. I'm working through the last quarter of the third one when Barry announces he's done.

"What? You've got to have cheated!" I exclaim.

"No, I didn't, I swear. Now, let's go grocery shopping."

"Fine," I drink up the last of my soda and eat the square left on my plate. We pay the bill, then we go outside.

I hug him, then kiss his cheek, pullin back, with my arms still around his neck.

"I think you have a little something right- there," He says quietly, bringing his thumb up, and wiping it off. He licks his thumb.

And I blush like a crazy person.

**A/N: This is probably short, but I have a load of stories I was working on instead when I went away for the weekend. Urgh. I basically spent it going outside and getting sunburnt. Can I have eight reviews for the next chapter, or am I stretching it?**

**Reviewers are [Cue drumroll]:**

**-Guest-**

**-Mairrenn-**

**-Airsay-**

**-Guest-**

**-SwaggyStiles-**

**-snowbarryshipper- (Guest)**

**-Snowy91399-**

**So thank you for the love!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I am so sorry I have not posted in ages! Fear not, though, for my muse is back and ready for action! Already, I have at least three ideas, and at least a bunch I've started working on. It's definitely going to get more productive around here! I seem to have an awful skill at proofreading, indeed, this chapter must be full of mistakes.**

**Sorry for the weird language. Anyway I haven't seen 1x10 or 1x11, but I did manage to get to watch most of 1x12! Drunk!Caitlin is awesome. And I seem to keep humming '****_Summer Lovin'_****' a lot, especially in class. Speaking of class, tomorrow is a Monday. Reviewers will be announced as usual.**

**Caitlin's POV**

"Let's go, what are we waiting for?" I bury my face into his chest, not wanting to get dizzy, or heaven forbid and touch wood, that I throw up on him. We show up when I think he's stopped at a grocery store close to my house, in the opposite direction of the mall.

"Thanks for the ride," I detatch myself from him, savouring the press and warmth of his body. Oh, why didn't I think to wear a coat?

Because I was with Barry, and I thought I'd be going home straight after. Right.

I nevertheless push through, determined to not have to go home.

I walk in ahead of Barry, and something warm encloses my shoulders. I look behind me to see Barry putting his jumper aound my shoulders.

I try shrugging the jacket off, but Barry keeps his ands there.

"Aren't you going to get cold?"

"Nope. I'm wearing so many layers, I think I'm sweating!" He exclaims, and I stop trying to subtly shift the jacket off of me, and he helps me put my arms into it. I shiver, secretly thrilled that it was Barry that was helping me, Doctor Caitlin Snow, into a jacket.

"You can't be sweating. No way."

"Whatever you say, love."

I whack him in the arm, and bring up a cheesecake recipe on my phone.

"Got the list," I say to him, and he walks over to me with a trolley.

"Okay," he gives it a once over.

"You get the top half, I'll get the bottom, meet at the egg aisle?"

"Knowing me, you'll grow a beard by the time I get there, but sure, that'll work," I say to him, grabbing a basket from the stack nearby.

"See you soon!" He says, and I depart for the dairy aisle.

Half an hour later, as I get the final ingredient in the top half of the list, I meet Barry in the egg aisle. The owner of this place might be crazy.

There were literally so many eggs. Chocolate and real, and prank ones. I'm not sure how I felt about those. I see Barry heading towards me.

"Hey," I say to him.

"Hi," he says back.

"You wanna go?" I ask him.

He nods, but his phone seemingly picks that moment to ring.

"Hello." He answers, and I go to the other end of the aisle, suddenly finding another packet of yet more prank eggs very interesting. They apparently advertised that the would explode with a putrid, foul-smelling goo once you expose them to a liquid.

"Yes, I understand. I'll see you soon..." Barry finishes his call from next to me.

"Hey," he says to me.

"You didn't sound too happy. What's up?"

"We have to go find a new Snowbarry. A shop trainee accidentally sold ours while her co-worker went to go get lunch." His eyes hold a flicker of annoyance.

"It's okay, Barry. We'll go look for another one."

"And they also can't deliver on Christmas Day, but they can do it tomorrow. How does 11 sound?"

"It sounds perfectly good." I smile at him.

"Come on, let's go find ourselves a puppy!"

And so after we've paid for the groceries, we're at my house, then the pet store, me empty handed except for my purse.

"The lady told me that they got a new shipment in today."

"Sounds good. You want to look together this time?"

"Yeah."

So we go, exclaiming over a few cute puppies, and the tasteless song that was playing suddenly ended to play 'Summer Lovin'' and I giggle.

"What is it?" He asks, looking around for the joke.

"This song." He looks confused.

"Okay, my friend and roommate invited me to this party and I said okay, because I only studied and didn't really have a life. I accidentally took a pot brownie in my freshman year, and I was sooo drunk as well, and it was like that scene from that Jump Street movie, and man. The next morning, I was hungover, lying on some weird dude's couch. The next day after that, when I recovered from it, I moved out of my apartment. I think the roommate was at another party, and didn't miss me at all."

"And this song relates to the experience why?"

"It was playing during the hallucinations."

"Ah."

And suddenly, I see it, and run over to it.

"This one!" I say. He doesn't bat an eyelid, just asks the delighted (if you know what I mean) female store worker how big they get.

She replies, practically drooling, "They don't get big, they're like a chiuaua labrador crossbreed, and that's sweet, you and your sister are getting a puppy together."

"Actually I'm," "She's," "his," "my," "girlfriend." We say at the same time. She doesn't get it at first, still obliviously staring at Barry, but he puts his arm around me and whispers seductively into my ear, "Never again."

"Agreed." I'm not taking him ever again if this is going to happen every time I do so.

It's nice to know that Barry doesn't like it either, though.

So an hour later, we're lying on my bed, my head on his stomach and him playing with my hair, and we're quiet.

"Hey, you want to prank someone?" I ask him.

"My my Caitlin Snow, I have corrupted you far more thank I have feared. But yes."

Somehow, I really liked the 'my Caitlin' bit falling from his lips.

"You wanna prank call everyone we know and tell them we're together? Then at the Christmas party, we have no idea what they're talking about?"

"You know, I would not have pegged you for a pranker. The idea is honestly brilliant, but how about we tell them in person? I've got dibs on Felicity and Eddie."

"You'd better take Dr Wells and Cisco too. I've got Oliver, Iris, Joe and Diggle."

"And if they don't believe us, we can show them the pictures. And if they do believe us, show them the pictures."

"I like your thinking. I'll get in my car."

"Actually, wanna take the Flash Express? You'll take about an hour to get there on the train."

"Okay. But only because it's-" And we're off. It's exhilirating, running like this, and it's over too fast. I can see how a guy could get addicted to this.

I see Barry whipping his phone out, and I leave him to it, seeing as I've forgotten mine, thanks to Barry.

"Thanks," I whisper in his ear. "There are traffic cameras Felicity can hack, though, so on the safe side, it's best to act couple-y." His phone goes back into his pocket.

"Good idea, my dear Watson." He whisper in my ear and we're hugging.

"I'd like to say I've always pictured you as Watson, but I haven't. I'm obviously Watson." I whisper back, feeling a strange exhiliration at being part of the pair to trick all our friends.

"Obviously." He scoffs, and I shove him playfully.

"No need to rub it in."

His phone rings, and the spell of the moment is broken. He checks the message.

"Felicity's not at the foundry tonight, she just left. She's picking up Italian for her and Oliver, and she's seen us on the traffic cameras."

As if on cue, my stomach growls. He laughs.

"Oi, you should be hungrier than me, and you better be eating those calorie bars."

"Four a day, just as you promised, my lady."

"If you don't eat them, you could die, and-"

"And what?" He urges.

"I would miss you. Central City needs you Barry. And it's scary to think of just how strong, yet fragile you are."

"Then don't think about it." He embraces me. "Want a ride to the foundry?"

"You thought I thought you'd let me walk?"

"Fair point." And suddenly, I'm at Verdant, and it looks like it's opening.

"Hi, I'm Sara." The blonde bartender says.

"Hi, I'm here to see Oliver Queen?"

"Darling, everyone's here to see Oliver Queen."

"No, you don't understand. Do you know Barry Allen?"

"Yeah, Felicity says a lot about him."

"Felicity works in the bar? And I'm Barry Allen's personal physician. Barry is-"

"Okay. No need for-" she lowers her voice, "a secret identity to slip through."

"You know?" I ask, surprised.

"Yep. In fact, I'm the Black Canary. I work with him."

"Cool. No seriously, I wish I had the skills to do this sort of stuff. I'm the one who gets kidnapped and the one with the boring office desk job."

"Felicity had the same sort of thing. Maybe come along sometime, and I'll show you some moves? To help with the kidnapping?"

"Thanks for the offer. I'll take you up on it, but not right now. Also, would they help against meta-humans?"

"Meta-humans?"

"Oh, the particle accelerator exploded at S.T.A.R Labs and they created people with an array of terrifying superpowers."

"Right. Couldn't hurt to know something though."

"Thank you so much."

"Don't worry. You come from the same kind of cuteness as Felicity. You're my friend already."

"Thank you. You're mine too. I'll visit soon, and maybe you can come to this Christmas party at Iris West's house-"

"Sorry. I'd like to do that, but I'm sort of supposed to be dead, so,"

"Sorry. I didn't know. I'll go see Oliver, and talk to you later?"

"More like I'll have to fish you out. But do come over for a drink. It's on the house."

"Thats very kind of you, Sara."

"Don't mention it."

I walk down the stairs and there seems to be no one here, until I step out onto the foundry floor and suddenly there's a knife at my throat, drawing a small beads of blood.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" A strange voice says, one I haven't heard before.

"Where's Oliver? What have you done to him and Diggle?"

Someone comes running in. "Roy, let her go. She's a friendly." So Roy lets me go, and I stumble forward.

"Hi, Caitlin." Diggle steps forward.

"Hey Mr Diggle. Where's Oliver?"

I hear a clank, and Diggle looks pointedly behind me.

I turn around to see Oliver jump off like a graceful gazelle onto the floor from the hightest level of the salmon ladder.

"Is Barry okay?" Are the first words to tumble out of his mouth.

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you guys about. Don't worry, he's not dead or in another coma," I add quickly after seeing Oliver's reaction.

"Barry-and-I-are-together," I say in one breath.

"And why would you come all the way from Central City to tell us this?"

"Barry wanted to see Felicity, and we know you guys are together, so congratulations, and he's not trying to steal your girl," I say, seeing Oliver tense at my first words, then contract as I explain.

"We just thought it'd be nice for you guys to know. And you guys are coming to the party tomorrow, right?"

They all nod, which is surprising, because I've never met Roy before. His uniform looks like a cross between Barry's and Oliver's.

"Cool. You can see our puppy then."

"You got a puppy?" Roy exclaims.

Diggle explains, "He's big on dogs." And I nod in understanding.

"What's it called?" Oliver asks, pulling on his shirt.

"Snowbarry, actually. It was one of his 'conditions'," I use quotation marks.

"Ah."

"Anyway, he's the one who dropped me off at the foundry, so can I hang with you till he gets back?"

"Sure." Diggle says.

And then the rush of air that is always accompanied by a certain streak arrives.

"Hey Caitlin." He greets me first, and I go hug him.

He kisses me on the forehead, and keeps one arm still cuddled against me.

"Hey Oliver, Diggle, Roy."

"Hey, Barry," Oliver smiles.

"Oh. Felicity says she'll kill you if you don't come home soon." Barry breaks the ice.

"Congratulations for you two, by the way." Diggle says.

"Thanks," Barry replies.

Oliver jogs to us, pats Barry on the back and says, "You guys take care of each other, alright? I gotta get home."

"Want me to drop you?" Barry offers.

Oliver nods, and give Barry a pat and release him.

The air messes up my hair again, and I smooth it over.

"Hey, so how's the baby doing?" I ask Diggle.

"She's good." His reply is friendly, not hostile.

"You have a doctor on speed dial. Well, you have Barry, and he's got me."

"I'll call you if I need you."

"Seriously, do so. Sara asked if I wanted to train with her a little bit, and I said yes. So you might see me round here a bit."

"Cool." His reply is short, and I ask Roy something.

"Is it hard to shoot a bow?"

He laughs. "Not the question I was expecting. But want an impromptu lesson?"

"Okay." He hands me a bow, and I hold it, feeling awkward.

"You're holding it wrong. Here." He pushes my left hand up the bow, and pulls back my elbow. He tilts the bow slightly, and puts an arrow in the notch, pulling my fingers to clasp around it. He puts both his hands on mine, and spins me to face the target. He pulls it back a little more, then lets go of the arrow.

It lands a perfect bullseye.

"Want to do one on your own?"

"I'm up for it."

So I take a deep breath and try it again. I land in the middle circle, but not exactly smack bang in the middle.

"It's all about practice, see," Roy says.

"Hey guys," Barry emerges from someplace near the stairs.

"Hi Barry. Wanna try this?" He seems kinda mad. I wonder what I did.

"Nope. I picked up Italian too, though." He holds up the bag, and I go over to him, and hug him.

"You are the best." And I meant it too.

"Bye Roy," I say, and he waves. And suddenly we're running.

This time, my eyes are open, and I feel dizzy as I look around at our surroundings.

We're finally at my apartment. And I feel like I'm going to puke, so I let go of Barry, and try to catch my balance.

I don't, and I crumple onto the floor.

"Caitlin!" Barry yells.

"Yeah?" I reply through a hazy brain.

"Oh thank god. You want some water?"

"Water sounds good." The world spins.

A glass is pushed to my hands, and I shakily accept it.

"Sorry. I peeked while we were running, and it was cool but my head hurts and I feel dizzy."

"Take a nap." Barry suggests.

"We've gotta make that stupid cheesecake."

"The recipe only takes two hours to do. Go, or I'll drag you."

"You actually might have to. I'm not moving because I'll be sick."

"I'll take the risk."

And so, he gathers me up in his arms and walks me at a normal pace down the hall. I cuddle into his chest, feeling the steady and fast pounding of his heart.

"Okay, last stop. Bed."

"Barry?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you sleep in the bed with me?" I'm kind of blunt, but I don't really care, because Barry helps with the spinning.

"Sure, Caitlin. Anything for you." So he gets into the bed, and I cuddle up beside him, and fall asleep to smell of him and the beat of his heart.

[Two Hours Later]

_Thu-thump, thu-thump, thu-thump. _Barry's heart beats. Sometime during our nap, his arms enclosed around me.

I don't question it, though, and am lulled again by the beat of his heart.

He groans, and the peacetime is over.

"Barry?"

"Hmm?"

"How fast can you make a cheesecake?"

"I don't know. I've never tried." He seems to smile in his sleep, and I look up, to see him smiling down at me.

"You wanna test it?"

"Why not?"

"But please, five more minutes."

"Anything for you." He smiles, and I snuggle into him.

Five minutes later, Barry shakes me awake.

"I bet you counted that," I grumble.

"Come on. Bring some of the dog food I bought too."

"Why? I don't think it's exactly your favorite, or even intended for your species. By the way, what's next? So I can stock up food, that is. Fish food? I don't think guinea pig or rabbit are suited for your tastes. Oh my god. I'm sorry. I'm just really nervous. And we need to tell Iris and Eddie and stuff."

"Okay then. And by the way, the dog food is so we can sort your house out so it's dog-proofed."

"I'm really sorry. Anyway, you're amazing."

"I know."

"I know you know."

"I know you know I know."

"Okay, we have soo much stuff to do, so I am not going to lie here and argue with you all day. Even if I want to."

"So do you, Dr Snow?"

"Course I do. It's not like I have an amazingly fun life."

"Course."

"Okay. I'm getting out. And we're testing that theory."

"Let's call it Operation: Flash Cheesecake."

"Okay. I'll call Iris and Joe."

"I'll do the cheesecake then."

"Game plan is made up. Team talk over."

"Kay."

I roll out of bed. And land on the floor.

"Oomph."

I get up though, and roll my hair up into a really messy bun.

"If you give me a kiss on the cheek, I will get out of bed."

I turn aroun, and give him a kiss on the cheek so fast it would give its Mach 1.1-running recipient a run for his money.

Barry groans his way out of bed, and I grab my house phone.

Oh my god. Why am I nervous? It's not like I'm actually Barry's girlfriend.

"Actually, want to dog-proof the house while I call them?" I didn't realise I'd said my thoughts aloud.

"You're the best." I praise.

"Don't forget it." Sometimes his lack of modesty concerns me.

"I won't. It's not like I could. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay." I say again.

"Oh my gosh you just ruined it, and basically admitted to secretly being in love with me this whole time."

"How the heck do you get that from two 'okays'?" I blurt out.

"You've never seen The Fault In Our Stars?"

"I may have forgotten to put on both my nonexistent and my nonexistent eHarmony profiles that I do not have much of a social life. And it's from Shakespeare. The title, anyway."

"Yep, but I knew that."

"The fact I didn't have a life or the Shakespeare thing?"

"The Shakespeare thing. Besides, since you've had me stick around, you so do have a life. We've gone to the mall, eaten pancakes, done a photo booth thing, and had a food fight. If that isn't a life, I don't know what is."

"That's very reassuring."

"Shut up!" I smirk at him, and he flogs me with a dishtowel on the arm.

I snatch up my arm and poke my tongue out at him. "I'll get the cheesecake ingredients."

"Okay. I'll call Joe."

I hand him the phone, and he keys in the number and turns it onto speakerphone.

"Hey, this is Joe."

"Hey Joe, this is Barry."

"What is it?"

"Um, I have a girlfriend."

"Uh- wow. Really? Have I met her?"

"Yeah."

"Would it be Caitlin?"

"Um, yeah. How did you know?" Barry makes eye contact with me, and I decide to save him.

"Hey babe." I make a gagging face. I've always hated that nickname. "Who are you talking to?"

"It's Joe, sweetheart."

"Okay, but can you make it quick? I want my snuggly space heater to come back to bed with me." He makes a 'what?' face, and I make a noncommital eyebrow raise.

"Okay, cupcake." He kisses my cheek.

"Um, I can hear you have your hands full, so I am going to um, go and get some work done."

"Okay Joe, bye."

He hangs up, and I am so filled with nervous energy I just hug him and giggle.

He hugs me back, and we stand here for a long minute, euphoric and triumphant.

"Okay, Iris now!" I say.

"Okay, but when I give you a thumbs up, you intervene." I nod my agreement.

He punches in the numbers. "Here goes," he says, as the first set of ringing starts.

"Hey." Iris says.

"Hey, this is Barry, I have good news."

"What?! What is it?!"

"I have a girlfriend."

"Oh my gosh! Does Dad know?"

"Yes, and you know her."

"Is it Caitlin Snow?"

"Uh, yeah. How did you know?"

"Well, I can see you guys are so obviously smitten with each other, and it was about time," Barry and I give each other a confused look, and he gives me a thumbs up.

"Mr Allen, please get back into the bed with me."

Iris hangs up, without a word of goodbye, and the dial tone underlays our laughter.

We're both rolling around on the floor, in tears. Eventually, our spleens are sore, and we look at each other, still on the floor. For a second, I was going to kiss him, but my brain recalls the conversation we had in the mall, about him having a crush on another girl, and I know he doesn't share the same feelings.

"Just imagine their faces tomorrow." I giggle, and we laugh for about five minutes.

"I have super-healing, and my spleen hurts. I can't imagine what yours feels like."

I groan on the floor. "Very painful. I think I won't recover."

"You're so dramatic."

"So are you. Anyway, you have that super-healing."

"I know I do, so I intend to try and present the fact to you as many times as possible."

"Has anyone told you that modesty is an attractive trait?"

"Multiple times. The meek shall inherit the earth, but at the moment it is owned by the conceited."

"You will never cease to amaze me."

"You won't either." His sincere voice and eyes promise me.

**So, how was it? Be honest.**

**Reviewers for the last chapter are:**

**-Mairrenn-**

**-Stresses-**

**-Fran Stark-**

**-Guest (Haha, yeah, but probably next chapter)-**

**-Airsay-**

**-Guest-**

**-Snowy91399-**

**-brico4899-**

**-snowbarryshipper(Guest)-**

**-SorryI'mNotPerfect-**

**-DarowdrynofArcadia-**

**-Guest-**

**So, maybe just a couple for the next?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: It's fixed! Anyway, I am celebrating with (finally) a chapter. Thank you to the kind words of everyone.**

**Anyway, I will not bother with small talk, except I'm Head Librarian now! And head of the book club!**

I get up off the floor. "Come on, cheesecake."

He groans. "Not another pet name."

"No, literally. We still need to make the cheesecake!"

"Oh," He grins goofily, and I help pull him up.

He speed-reads through the recipe and in less than ten seconds, its in the oven.

"Wow," I breathe.

"You know, if my job at the CCPD doesn't work out, I could always be a baker."

"Yes, among a great deal of other things."

"Damn right." He laughs.

I check my watch. "It's 10:30 already. Wanna have some of the Italian?"

"Okay," is the reply, so I grab the takeout bag, and some plates.

I open each of the boxes and lay them out on the table. "Take what you want," I tell him, to which he argues, "Ladies first."

"No!"

"No!"

"Why are we yelling?"

"I have no idea."

"Okay, we can just go at the same time."

"Cool."

So I get two forks, hand one of the pair to him, and proceed to study the food.

"You know, you're supposed to eat the food. It's not scientific research."

"Okay. It just looks delicious!"

"Don't tell me you've never had Italian?"

"I used to love it as a girl. When I was fourteen, I had some on the night before my first day of high school. It was from a hole-in-the-wall place that one of my friends had recommended. I was in the hospital for a couple weeks."

"Oh. I promise I got this from the best Italian resturant in Central City and beyond."

"You have quite a flair for the dramatic, don't you?"

"Thank you for remarking upon it." He smiles.

"So what is it?" I ask him, looking down at my plate before I could do something that would end our friendship.

"It's a mushroom risotto."

"Sounds exotic."

"It's Italian food!"

"I was joking."

"Oh. I really walked into that one, didn't I?"

"Yes. Yes you did."

I love our banter, I think, as I stab some pasta and sauce, proceeding to shovel it into my mouth.

Then I smiled, and swallowed. "Wow. I need to get to know this place."

"So will we be doing this often?"

"Yes. If this comes with the pleasure of your company, I'd probably pick this over almost every scenario possible."

"So, George Clooney making you his wife?"

"Doesn't come close." I smile, half-hoping I wasn't too obvious.

I eat the rest of my risotto rather fast, and I'm full by the time I finish my plate.

"Thank you so much for the food." I say, recoiling in my chair, both sleepy and needing a shower.

"My pleasure."

"Do you want to finish this?"

"Yes. I'll save the best for tomorrow, though."

"Kay," my smile turns sleepy now, "I'm gonna take a shower."

"You do that."

"I will."

"You shall."

"Are we gonna stand here all night and do this?"

"I have the game-"

"And I'm having a shower. Feel free to yell in the door."

"Mmhmm." Barry mumbles through a bite of spaghetti.

"Did you know pasta was a Chinese invention?"

"No. No way."

"Yes way. So was ice-cream and glass. Marco Polo brought them back from China after he travelled for 24 years."

"Long time to be away from home, isn't it?"

"Yeah. But his dying words were, "I didn't tell half of what I saw," so I don't think the guy was too homesick."

"Touche."

I walk to the bathroom, and undress.

By the time I finish my shower, I realise I don't have clothes.

But I do have a towel, so that's okay.

I open the door, wet hair and all, and drip silently down the hall.

I manage to sneak into my room. Thank god.

The other set of pyjamas I own are a tank and cupcake shorts.

It'll have to do.

I feel really tired, so I collapse into the bed.

I melt into the blankets, and the moment my head hits the pillow, I'm out like a light.

When I wake up, I'm hugging Barry's thigh. And using it as a pillow. My hair is dry, and I look up at the sleeping occupant of my bed.

I have a vague recollection of soft-spoken words and a gentle brush stroking- caressing my hair.

Barry wakes up.

"Hey, Cait." His voice is sleepy and I realise it's Christmas morning.

"What's the time?"

"It's Christmas Eve, and it's- 9:30."

"Okay, we need to dog-proof the place, and get ready for the party. Oh god. Did we take the cheesecake out?" I leap from the bed, half-expecting smoke to flood in under the crack in the doorframe, and flames to start licking at the structure.

"Relax Caitlin. Come back to bed. We'll get up at ten, I promise." He slips under the covers and holds his arms open.

"I don't doubt that." I crawl back into the bed, and let myself succumb to the bliss of being in his arms once again.

"Mgrgrrrh." I open my eyes. Barry is vibrating, like a human alarm clock. I squish his cheek, and he keeps vibrating.

"Where's the snooze button on this thing?"

He laughs, and I kiss his cheek, except he vibrates and I end up kissing his nose.

I open my eyes to find his eyes directly in front of mine.

"Hello." I say meekly, and he lets out a breathy chuckle.

"I dog-proofed the house already."

"Are you sure you're not developing clairvoyance? And thank you."

"Yes. I am developing clairvoyance. I actually made this thing called French toast."

"My stomach appreciates it."

"You have no faith." He bops my nose.

I try distangle myself from him and the sheets, and I fall.

I prop myself up onto my elbows, and squint up at him.

"Where's the clairvoyance? And did you just let me fall?"

"A teller of fortunes may not reveal the secrets of the stars."

"Sounds philosophical." I get up and stretch my arms up, walking into the hall and smoothing my hair down.

On the kitchen bench, two slightly steaming plates sit, with a stack of bread-things, dusted with icing sugar. Barry picks me up from behind and spins me in a circle.

"Kiss the cook." He says.

"You're supposed to have an apron for that, remember?" I dance my way out of his arms and grab cutlery for the both of us.

I hand one set to him and sit on the stool, eager to dig in.

I carefully cut a square from the rest as Barry slides into the seat next to me. I spoon (fork?) it's way into my mouth, and sparks fly.

"It's practically cake!" I proclaim as I keep eating. "I think I'm going to have to chain you in my basement. Except for the fact I don't have one."

He chuckles. "Anyway," he says nervously, and the doorbell rings. I open the door to reveal Felicity and the whole gang in tow, and a squeal bursts from my lips.

**A/N: So, how was that? Kiss chapter next, I solemnly swear.**


	10. Ta-da: Thank You!

**A/N: So I finally have finished the story!**

**If you want an epilogue, sequel, or continuation, just leave a review.**

**Um, I think this is the longest chapter I've ever had the pleasure of writing.**

**So yeah. If nobody wants anything, I'll just leave it as it is.**

**If not, expect something! Or not. You never know.**

"Ohmygosh, hi!" Felicity says, pulling me into a hug.

"Um, hi. Come in." I awkwardly step out of the doorway, becoming one with the wall so the broad-shouldered men could get into my apartment.

I shut the door behind them and Barry says, "Oh. Um, hey guys."

I offer them seats and food, but they stand, saying they 'weren't staying long', and 'Roy wants to visit the cupcake place on Fifth'.

I try hinting with my eyebrows at Barry's attire, and he says, "One sec," before flashing out the room, to the obvious freaking out of Mr Diggle. He returns a second later, dressed in his usual clothes, and I excuse myself to go dress, and later I could've sworn that Mr Diggle was watching me expectantly, like I had grown Barry-like powers by being in his proximity for a prolonged period of time.

I hurried my dressing, accidently putting my dress on back-to-front. It's a navy blue one that hugs places, but it seems semi-formal. Of course, I'll change before attending the party, but I felt a bit awkward. Scratch that, very awkward.

Had Diggle ever seen Felicity in her pyjamas? -I had no idea.

I come back after applying lip gloss and brushing my hair to a presentable level, but I hang in the doorway.

Barry's recounting a tale of some funny meta-human-chase-thing he had gone on. I look at him, and a knife feels like it's being twisted in my chest.

I need to grasp the fact that _I can't have him, _that it's always going to be some other girl he wants. I'm just a friend.

But at the same time, I can't.

I want to run into his arms and have him tell me it's okay, he wants me and no one else.

But that's just a fantasy. Add it to the pile of happy endings I want and never get.

"Cait?" Barry asks.

I snap out of it. "Yes? Sorry, I was just occupied."

"We can see that. Now, please do tell the kindly gentleman and gentlewoman, and yes, that is a thing and you may not convince me otherwise, about how I dealt with the mugger."

I smile. "Which- Oh, that one. Yeah, he basically had a heart attack, like when you don't study for a test and get a near-perfect score. He couldn't believe he was being mugged, and he told the guy, and I quote 'that he Michael Phelp'd in the Olympics of bad luck'."

"Well, when you put it like that," he says, and puts his arm around my shoulders.

My heart still flutters, but I feel the presence of his other hand snaking toward my hip.

"Don't you dare, Barry Allen. For one thing, I am not ticklish, and for another, I have game too."

"Dang it," He mutters quietly, but he slips both arms in front of me, holding me from behind.

Felicity gives Oliver a look, which I don't think Barry quite catches.

"So, do you guys want to head off to- oh wait, the stores are shut." I say, breaking the homely silence filling the air.

"There's always that Chinese place downtown. Remember? The one Cisco made you try? And you spilled soy sauce all over his pants?"

I giggle. "In that case, I say 'Let's go' and 'everyone wear napkins in their laps lest the Soy-Sauce-Spiller srikes again'."

"Soy-Sauce-Spiller? Really?"

"I came up with it on the fly. I think it deserves some credit."

"Stop being so darn cute and get food already," Roy grumbles. Barry's mood shifts, and I can feel it.

"I have a boyfriend. I'm a no-go."

I cuddle into Barry's side.

"Oh-kay." Felicity exhales. "Let's go."

Everybody nods agreement, and we all leave.

I stop for a moment, pulling Barry aside.

"You have nothing to worry about," I tell him.

"I- I'm not worried..." Barry says.

I lean in. "Sometimes, you're an even worse liar than I am."

"Yeah right."

"Bring it on."

"1...2...3..."

I stare at him and he stares at me.

"Don't you dare use your superspeed to blink."

"But how would you know if I did?"

"From the guilty expression on your- oh man I just blinked." I pout.

Barry says, "Is there any game you win at?"

"Let's find out." I can feel the determination emanating from me.

Felicity peeks her head back into the door and clears her throat, sending me like a mile back from Barry.

"Maybe text us the address before you indulge in a make-out session?"

"Uh..."

Barry interrupts my awkward stuttering.

"Give me a second, and we'll be in the car in front of your van."

"I don't doubt it," Felcity starts, but in the next second I'm in the passenger side of the car and Barry's checking his rearview mirror.

My seatbelt is on.

Aww...

It actually only makes the heartache worse.

I close my eyes and lean my head back for a second, stoppping my train of thought.

"You okay?" Barry asks from my side as he turns on the ignition.

"Yeah," I smile, lying through my teeth, being very careful not to bite my lip.

I know its my tell.

His eyes linger on my lips for a second, and apparently satisfied that I am telling the truth, looks up at the road.

I cheer up a bit for no reason whatsoever, my seemingly endless moment of desperation over.

For now, at least.

**-A bit and a half later, Chinese food place, Downtown Central City-**

"I'm honestly stuffed," Felicity says, reclining and throwing her napkin into her now-empty soup bowl.

I couldn't help but nod in agreement, but the men made little noises of something vaguely whiny.

"You have 5 minutes, Barry," I tell him. "Or I'm leaving without you."

"You wouldn't dare," he replies, his mouth half-stuffed with dumplings.

"Oh, I would, and you know it."

His eating tempo increases somewhat.

"Come on, let's go," I tell him, five minutes later. "Is it cool with you guys if we leave?" I direct the question to Team Arrow, who all nod.

I get up. "Barry, you have five seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2..."

A _whoosh _sounds as air is displaced, sending napkins fluttering off the table like unmanned parachutes.

"One," Barry finishes from behind me. I whirl around.

Roy is giggling.

"So cool." At my look, he amends his sentence.

"No. So not cool."

Barry's look is enough to make him pause in shoveling down his spring roll.

I nod towards the door.

"Lets pay and go home."

"Kay, he grins at me, sending butterflies running a marathon through my stomach.

We drive back to my place in relative silence.

I drive this time, and he keeps tapping the sidebar with a rhythm that I don't know.

We pull up at my apartment complex.

"I'll get changed and you can go flash and come back. Don't forget to come through the window, or Iris will see you, and Eddie will shoot you. I'm not pulling out any bullets today."

"Yes, ma'am." His face is playfully serious and it's endearing.

And cute.

Definitely, majorly _cute._

So I walk upstairs, mentally running through my closet in my head until I come to the perfect outfit.

Not saying I was a girly-girl type who always obsessed over fashion, but _come on, _I'm in love!

Ten minutes later, I'm all dressed and finishing the final touches of the light make-up I'm wearing to the party.

There's a knock at my door, and I pad my way down the hall, affixing my earrings to my ears.

I open the door and Barry's there.

He's dressed up a smidge nicer than usual, my mind notices.

"Ready to go?" He asks, holding out his arms.

"Let me go grab my purse," I smile at him.

I do so, chucking some money and my phone in a fancy gold one I've barely used. I grab the cheesecake from it's place on the table. I didn't really have a nice box for it, so I put in an oversized Tupperware container that I have no memory of owning.

Everything nowadays seems to be turning up when I need it.

Except for the heartache, of course.

That was _way _uncalled for.

Speaking of the heartache, the cause of it was standing at the door. I come back out to the hallway, jingling my keys with a mitten-covered finger, while holding the cheesecake, with my purse chain on my shoulder.

"We're taking the car, aren't we." Barry grumbles.

"Yep. I ain't risking our food baby getting smashed." I lightly pat the cheesecake in my arm. "By the way, aren't we supposed to pick up the puppy?"

Hi face gives an utterly adorable _uh-oh _expression, then he disappears. I grumble under my breath for a minute, but start walking to the car.

He appears just as I've put the cheesecake in the passenger seat. He puts the small white puppy onto the ground, where it stumbles sideways for a few seconds, seemingly dizzy, but it shakes its head, regains its balance, then starts yipping happily.

He leads Snowbarry over to me with a yellow leather leash. I crouch onto the snowy ground, and the puppy immediately bounds over to me in the most adorable way possible.

It jumps into my arms, and I unclip the leash before it strangles itself. I notice that the tag and the collar that we bought for the dog that was almost ours is on the dog, and I hug it tighter into my grip, but not too much, lest I strangle it.

I hear numerous _snaps _behind me, and my head whips around to look, body shielding Snowbarry as if it were my own baby.

Barry's whipped out his phone, and is taking pictures. Lots of them.

"Come on," I tell him, "We better get to Iris' party."

"Kay," he smiles.

We get into the car, Snowbarry in the backseat, Barry in the passenger seat, cheesecake carefully balanced between his knees, and with me driving.

I don't go too fast while driving, and frequently check behind me for any signs of sickness.

I see Barry regarding me with some amusement as we pull into the street.

I park a bit away from the house, on the curb, so Snowbarry can get some fresh air; I then recline back onto the seat, sighing, leash in hand.

"You ready?" Barry asks me, about ten or so seconds later.

I very nearly stopped, to ask him what this was all about.

To ask him what we were doing.

Why was he so nice to me while he should have been doing these things for Iris?

_Iris._

She's one lucky girl.

So I really want to know why he hangs out with me and comes over and _sleeps _over at my house, for gods sake.

He was supposed to do this for Iris, not me.

But I couldn't bear to ask him the question.

I'm being selfish, I know, and I'll pay for it a half dozen times over.

But I love _us. _

So I open the door and exit the car, peacefully clipping the leash onto Snowbarry, who is esctatic at being outside, and start leading him to the West residence, picking up the cheesecake before I lock the car door, checking it is locked. The door, not the cheesecake, just to clarify.

Barry jogs to keep up, running backwards so he can face me, talks.

"Joe is going to be so happy that we bought a puppy!" He babbles. " I know he's a dog person. He never really got over the little puppy from Russia. Don't worry, I made sure he's toilet trained."

At this I look at him with a new expression.

"You checked?" I say incredulously. Barry didn't strike me as the type who thought about these things.

He nods, then shrugs.

The I see the streetlamp he's about to back into.

"Barry, watch-"

Too late.

-_CLANG!-_

I rush over to him, but Snowbarry is faster.

Probably due to the fact that I am wearing high heels.

Barry is lying on the ground, head in his hands.

I curse myself for wearing this particular dress.

It's navy blue, low-cut, short and _extremely_ stretchy around the thighs.

To be honest, I didn't really care, flinging myself to the ground (perhaps _flinging_ is a little bit exaggerated) But, my hands are on his head as I kneel next to him. Snowbarry keeps jumping up.

"Snowbarry, _down._" I tell him. He resorts to standing guard.

"You okay?" I ask him.

"Yeah, thank God it's fricking freezing and there's all this snow."

"Language!" I admonish him.

It slightly worried me, because Barry didn't really use bad language unlesss something was really hurting, and even that was swearing under his breath.

Still, it's not exactly swearing, but can I help the fact I'm a mother hen?

He puts his hands up in a _don't-shoot-me _gesture.

"Okay okay. Help me up, dear lady." I do, but the snow is a little bit more slippery than I had expected, so I fall, pulling him back down with me.

Well, to be more exact, him on top of me.

I open my eyes to see his face close to mine, closer than the moment laughing in the kitchen. It seems so long ago.

I feel my breathing hitch.

He seems closer than ever when I've finally blinked, after what seems forever.

He hesitates, giving me a chance to escape.

I don't take it.

_Maybe life doesn't want me to suffer loneliness for all eternity after all_, I think to myself as his lips come crashing down onto mine.

Fireworks explode as the tense, built-up passion is released. Violently.

Every thought goes spinning out of my head. There is just him and me and nothing else.

I feel secure and safe in our little eternity. I forget about Iris, about Ronnie, about the crushing isolation of losing someone you care about.

This must be heaven.

Snowbarry barks, draining the white from behind my eyelids abruptly.

I open them to see Barry, still dazed.

"Barry, we'd better get to the party, we're late!"

"Wow. Oh. Um, yeah." His eyes flutter, and I pull him to his feet.

He picks up Snowbarry's leash, and grabs my very already cold hand with his warmer one.

I squint sideways up at him, studying him for about two seconds before a small snowy branch _thwacks _into me.

Good thing Barry's holding the cheesecake.

It had started snowing again, and the thick flakes were spiralling down.

Snowbarry yips, trying to eat the flakes, which makes me giggle and Barry smile.

"Head better yet?" I ask him, just as we reach the Wests' house. I look for the answer. There would be no patient fooled under my watch.

He glances at me sideways with a coy smile.

"I don't know, Doctor Snow. Maybe I need another kiss, just to make sure."

I smile, tilting my head up at him. "Gladly."

I kiss him again, feeling the same fireworks.

And I knew.

He's the one.

And he will be.

Forever.

**A/N: So there's that. I wasn't really happy with it at first (it went through a lot of partial rewrites), and then there's the fact it would not upload to the website.**

**Don't forget to drop by a review! Or not. Entirely your choice.**

**(I am partial to the former, just letting you know.)**


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